Expedia CruiseShipCenters Targets Six Cities for Expansion

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Travel Franchise Aims to Make a Splash with the Addition of 150 U.S.
Locations over the Next Three Years

BELLEVUE, Wash.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Expedia®
CruiseShipCenters®, one of the biggest cruise sellers in
North America, has announced development plans to expand into six
strategically targeted cities across the United States.

The leading travel company is seeking franchise partners in the
metropolitan and surrounding areas of New York, Orlando, Los Angeles,
San Francisco, Atlanta, and Seattle. Within easy driving distance of
cruise departure ports, these cities have demographics that provide the
ideal foundation for a new travel franchise.

“We’ve been growing consistently since 1987, and we have the backing and
support of one of the world’s biggest travel brands,” said Matthew
Eichhorst, President of Expedia CruiseShipCenters. “We are already the
dominant travel franchise in Canada, and we are actively growing our
foothold in the United States. By the year 2020, we expect to more than
double our distribution network, with more than half of our growth to
come from the United States.”

Expedia CruiseShipCenters’ franchise network is rapidly expanding, with
over 200 retail locations already open or under development. The growth
of Expedia CruiseShipCenters is driven by three overarching realities:
the brand’s proven business model is affordable to start and extremely
scalable, its focus on cruise vacations makes the company a trusted
resource among cruise customers who overwhelmingly prefer to book with a
travel agent, and the cruise industry is growing quickly.

Cruises are becoming increasingly popular because they offer comfort and
convenience while making it easy for people to visit several exotic
locations on a single trip. According to Cruise Lines International
Association, an organization that conducts continual analysis of the
industry, cruisers spent $20 billion on their vacations in 2013. The
association also points out that the U.S. economic impact of the cruise
industry is even larger — at $42 billion annually. Cruise lines have
responded to that growth by commissioning the construction of more than
65 new ships that are on pace to set sail over the next five years.

Expedia CruiseShipCenters has enjoyed average sales growth well above
the industry average for the past two decades. While many similar
franchises are home-based, Expedia CruiseShipCenters franchises operate
from a retail office space where travel agents can share knowledge, meet
with clients, and maximize sales — all while indulging their passion for
travel. The retail location adds credibility, as Expedia
CruiseShipCenters are strategically placed in the heart of a community.

Chris Meyer, an Expedia CruiseShipCenters franchise owner in Orange
County, California, left a decades-long career in the newspaper business
and started his travel business.

“I had not been planning to become an entrepreneur, but after I explored
the Expedia CruiseShipCenters business model, I knew there was strong
potential for growth,” the former deputy editor of The Orange County
Register said. “The idea of a big digital company also doing
brick-and-mortar locations to appeal to every segment of the market was
attractive to me. I thought it was very forward-looking.”

The company has been providing business opportunities for driven team
leaders like Meyer who want to build income, wealth and equity in a
retail business they are passionate about. To learn more, visit www.expediafranchise.com.

About Expedia CruiseShipCenters

Named a fast-growing franchise by MSN Money, Expedia CruiseShipCenters
provides exceptional value and expert advice for travelers booking
cruises and vacations through its network of 200 retail travel agency
franchises. As part of the Expedia, Inc. family of brands, the company’s
4,200 Vacation Consultants sell a wide range of vacation products
including cruises, flights, hotels, vacation packages, tours, excursions
and more. The company has been navigating spectacular vacation
experiences for customers across North America for more than 28 years.
For more information on Expedia CruiseShipCenters, visit www.expediafranchise.com.